Why I Stopped Fighting Green Roofs (And Started Specifying Them Right)
You know what’s funny? Five years ago, I’d roll my eyes whenever an architect mentioned green roofs. Too many variables, I’d think. Too many ways for contractors to screw things…
Restorative housing design: Communities That Nurture Wellbeing
The text message arrived at 2:47 AM. My client Sarah, a housing developer in Portland, was experiencing what she called "architect's insomnia" – that familiar 3 AM spiral where project…
Biophilic synonym: A Complete Guide
You know how sometimes you're trying to explain something to a client and you realise you're using jargon they've never heard before? Happened to me just last Tuesday during a…
Biophilic learning: Nature-Inspired Education
The maintenance guy at my daughter's elementary school looked at me like I'd lost my mind when I suggested replacing the fluorescent lights in her third-grade classroom with full-spectrum LEDs…
Why Most “Eco-Friendly” Kitchen Materials Aren’t Actually Green (And What I Use Instead)
Last week I got an email from a colleague at another university asking about formaldehyde emissions in kitchen cabinets. She’d been getting headaches in her newly renovated kitchen and suspected…
Why Most “Green” Building Materials Are Actually Garbage (And What I Use Instead)
Last week I’m standing in the lumber aisle at our local supplier when this young contractor walks up asking about “the most eco-friendly insulation you’ve got.” The guy behind the…
How I Discovered Restorative Design (And Why It’s Been a Game-Changer for Our Family)
You know that feeling when you walk into a space and your whole body just… relaxes? I experienced this so powerfully last month when I took my daughter to a…
Real Talk About Green Building Materials That Actually Work
Yesterday I’m standing in the insulation aisle at Home Depot (yeah, I still shop there sometimes), and there’s this young couple having it out over R-13 versus R-15 fiberglass batts.…
Green Building Materials Market: Industry Growth Analysis
Last Tuesday, I found myself staring at a stack of invoices from three different material suppliers, and something struck me that I hadn't fully grasped before. The prices for reclaimed…
Biophilic guidelines: Standards and Best Practices
You know, I get asked constantly about whether there's a "right way" to do biophilic design. Last Tuesday, I was on a call with a corporate client who wanted me…